Sack Race - 2018/19

[The Terminator]

The main contender for our job is Steve Davies.

Would be a popular choice. Local, did well at both Nantwich and Crewe and would nurture our outstanding young players. Not sure what he's been doing the last 12 months though.

He was our manager from July till November this season before he was sacked after 13 games and 3 months without a win.

He started off ok, but the warning signs about him tactically were there though when Bromley beat us 6-1 in August, he seemed to think we could all out attack teams at this level, plus he deployed a very slow possession based game which suited sides who were happy to sit back against us. We seemed to always have an error in us under him.

He had a very tough task ahead of him in the summer though when he only had 5 weeks to build a team off of no scouting reports, he also lost Josh Coulson, George Elokobi and Charlie Lee to long term injurys in early September last year and he never recovered from that as we spiralled down the league.

He had to go with us, but I do have some sympathy for the bloke as he had a tough ask.

The Crewe fans were grew to seriously dislike him though, after watching his teams for 3 months I can understand why.

Always struck me as a better coach than manager. Maybe the National League North and a new early start could help him though?

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Billy Heath wants a go:-
http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/a-national-league-north-expert-keen-for-chester-ch-49530

Please take him, he's been hanging around Nethermoor recently - no thanks.

 

[Bluandwite]

Davis, Gary Caldwell and Billy Heath appear to be the three front runners.

Davis will definitely appeal to the Board based on his early Crewe days and Nantwich before that. Those Crewe links also stand him in good stead with the emphasis we’re putting on our burgeoning youth system.

Not sure who I want really, my initial choice a few weeks back was Carden based on the fact he’s dropped down a level or two and done a good job with Warrington. Carl Macauley has effectively been ruled out now as well who was a popular choice.

We're not really in the position to be fussy, in all honesty.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Davis, Gary Caldwell and Billy Heath appear to be the three front runners.

Davis will definitely appeal to the Board based on his early Crewe days and Nantwich before that. Those Crewe links also stand him in good stead with the emphasis we’re putting on our burgeoning youth system.

Not sure who I want really, my initial choice a few weeks back was Carden based on the fact he’s dropped down a level or two and done a good job with Warrington. Carl Macauley has effectively been ruled out now as well who was a popular choice.

We're not really in the position to be fussy, in all honesty.

Wouldnt wish Gary Caldwell on anyone. Was truly abysmal at Chesterfield.

 

[genesimmons]

Gary caldwell would be a odd choice for a national league north club

 

[Boz]

If Carden went to Chester wonder if Rovers misfits and youngsters would end up there, like has happened at Warrington. Might not go down to well with the natives?

 

[Bluandwite]

If Carden went to Chester wonder if Rovers misfits and youngsters would end up there, like has happened at Warrington. Might not go down to well with the natives?

He won't be coming anyway, he's said so in the press this week. He's applied a few times previously but we're in no position to offer compensation to anyone, no matter the level!

Warrington's manager prior to Carden has applied though, Shaun Reid, Peter's brother. Used to play for us and managed Warrington through that FA Cup spell and got them up in to the Northern Prem.

 

[E10rifle]

Those Crewe links also stand him in good stead with the emphasis we’re putting on our burgeoning youth system.

He showed absolutely no inclination whatsoever to use our excellent youth players.

 

[Luke Imp]

Rumours on the Chesterfield forum that Lester has left.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Rumours on the Chesterfield forum that Lester has left.

Chesterfield announced last night they will be making a statement this morning. For some reason...

 

[DarkSithLord]

Rumours on the Chesterfield forum that Lester has left.

Now Confirmed after his contract was terminated.

Ian Evatt in charge until the end of the season assisted by academy manager Miguel Llera

 

[genesimmons]

If they are getting rid of lester to have a faint chance of avoiding the drop ots a biy late surely. Sacking managers at this point in the season is always odd

 

[genesimmons]

He won't be coming anyway, he's said so in the press this week. He's applied a few times previously but we're in no position to offer compensation to anyone, no matter the level!

Warrington's manager prior to Carden has applied though, Shaun Reid, Peter's brother. Used to play for us and managed Warrington through that FA Cup spell and got them up in to the Northern Prem.

Now reid would be a good fit

 

[Bluandwite]

Interviews taking place this week and an appointment should be made ahead of our trip to Barrow on Saturday.

Neil Redfearn now favourite. Was apparently interviewed back in September and came across well.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Steve Burr leaving stalybridge next week.........contract now renewed after a terrible season

 

[Luke Imp]

Southport at it again!

 

[Master D]

Liam Watson will go back. It's all he ever does.

 

[Andy Harrier]

Davies managed them for 31 games. Must be one of their longest serving managers.

 

[Swedes]

Davies had to go, spending a small fortune on a squad (albeit mid-season recruitment), then taking them on an end of season run of losing 8 games out of 9 was never going to keep him in the job. I don't like that we've had yet another managerial change, but this one is justified. Davies will probably go on to have some success elsewhere in the future, but he just isn't the right fit for us at the moment.

Expect the return of Liam Watson.

Davies managed them for 31 games. Must be one of their longest serving managers.

Second longest serving since Watson was last with us, Paul Carden lasted 38 games.

 

[TrinidadsNumberOne]

He was our manager from July till November this season before he was sacked after 13 games and 3 months without a win.

He started off ok, but the warning signs about him tactically were there though when Bromley beat us 6-1 in August, he seemed to think we could all out attack teams at this level, plus he deployed a very slow possession based game which suited sides who were happy to sit back against us. We seemed to always have an error in us under him.

He had a very tough task ahead of him in the summer though when he only had 5 weeks to build a team off of no scouting reports, he also lost Josh Coulson, George Elokobi and Charlie Lee to long term injurys in early September last year and he never recovered from that as we spiralled down the league.

He had to go with us, but I do have some sympathy for the bloke as he had a tough ask.

The Crewe fans were grew to seriously dislike him though, after watching his teams for 3 months I can understand why.

Always struck me as a better coach than manager. Maybe the National League North and a new early start could help him though?

Davis, Gary Caldwell and Billy Heath appear to be the three front runners.

Davis will definitely appeal to the Board based on his early Crewe days and Nantwich before that. Those Crewe links also stand him in good stead with the emphasis we’re putting on our burgeoning youth system.

Not sure who I want really, my initial choice a few weeks back was Carden based on the fact he’s dropped down a level or two and done a good job with Warrington. Carl Macauley has effectively been ruled out now as well who was a popular choice.

We're not really in the position to be fussy, in all honesty.

He showed absolutely no inclination whatsoever to use our excellent youth players.

I know this is from a while ago but thought I'd give a Crewe fan's perspective of Davis and, admittedly, a Crewe fan who vocally protested for his removal from the club for a number of years.

Orient fans will have heard me bang on about this all last Summer, but the first thing Davis says is that he plays good attacking football. I believe he was a little bit more attacking at Orient but this was never the case with us after all our creative players (Powell, Westwood and Murphy) were sold. It was play for a 1-0 win or a 0-0 draw every game. Soon as we scored we sat back and ended up getting tonked 80% of the time. We never thrashed anyone either, yet got thrashed an awful lot ourselves. We only scored more than 3 goals in a league game just three times in his 5 years and 2 months in charge and they all occurred in his first 4 months in the job. To put that in perspective, Dave Artell has managed us for 1 year and 4 months and he's achieved this feat five times already playing proper attacking football.

He then says he's had a long history of developing youth players and plays them. Again, this is a lie. Most the players we sold during our successful years all played the bulk of their career under Dario/Gudjon/Steve Holland (Miller, Westwood, Murphy). Nick Powell is the one I'll give Davis credit for, as his new fitness regime made him last a lot longer in games which then allowed the world to see his potential. The only other players we sold that Davis primarily developed were Max Clayton, who underachieved massively but then it turned out he despised Davis and was so desperate to leave the club he ended up having a week's trial in Scandinavia in the hope that they'd take him off our hands for free. We then sold him to Bolton for £300,000. Ryan Colclough, a talented winger with well documented legal troubles who was injured for 2 years but had obvious quality. However, he also despised Davis as well, with Davis dropping him regularly for no apparent reason. Lastly, George Cooper, another one who was frozen out for a while by Davis but then thrown back in the deep end when we desperately needed him. Artell sold him to Peterborough in January but again, it was a common recurring theme. And a lot of our ex Academy lads who were released (believe me there's lots) often felt the need that unless your name was Harry Davis or Oliver Turton, who seemed to get chance after chance to impress when they were both woeful, you wouldn't get the run of games you needed to get confidence instilled in the side.

I was so happy when the emergency loan system for clubs in the Football League was scrapped in 2016-17. Davis spent years playing 5 loanees a game, rarely playing Academy lads unless it was his son (on the rare occasions he was fit) or Turton. The board ended up banning him from playing more than 2 loanees as they were appalled at how many Academy products were being jettisoned after each season because they were neglected and never given the chance to prove themselves. His permanent recruitment wasn't much better either, especially in League One. Due to the fact he has the charisma of a breeze block, we often signed dregs every season (Chris Atkinson for instance, who went from League One to the eighth tier within 6 months) and, bar Anthony Grant and Chris Dagnall, he never signed a permanent signing that made a positive and consistent difference to the side, and even then he fell out with Grant and badly mismanaged Dagnall! The difference between the shite he signed and the improved quality of player Dave Artell attracted to our club on the same budget was staggering!

And then there's Davis the person. Swearing at fans constantly, trying to divide fans to save his own skin, the nepotism, the bizarre press conferences and post match interviews about how if you take out the 5 goals Coventry scored there was nothing between us and Coventry and how we should be grateful for being 18 places better off than when he started right after Port Vale relegated us when we were 24th in League One. A nasty piece of work and royal piss taker who I wouldn't want anywhere near anyone else's football club. The last 3 and a half years of his reign were the worst I've endured in over 16 years of watching us.

I'm pretty sure Chester won't be appointing him because I don't think he applied for the job in the end. But I genuinely hope for your sake he comes nowhere near yours, or anyone else's football club at all.

 

[Bluandwite]

I know this is from a while ago but thought I'd give a Crewe fan's perspective of Davis and, admittedly, a Crewe fan who vocally protested for his removal from the club for a number of years.

Orient fans will have heard me bang on about this all last Summer, but the first thing Davis says is that he plays good attacking football. I believe he was a little bit more attacking at Orient but this was never the case with us after all our creative players (Powell, Westwood and Murphy) were sold. It was play for a 1-0 win or a 0-0 draw every game. Soon as we scored we sat back and ended up getting tonked 80% of the time. We never thrashed anyone either, yet got thrashed an awful lot ourselves. We only scored more than 3 goals in a league game just three times in his 5 years and 2 months in charge and they all occurred in his first 4 months in the job. To put that in perspective, Dave Artell has managed us for 1 year and 4 months and he's achieved this feat five times already playing proper attacking football.

He then says he's had a long history of developing youth players and plays them. Again, this is a lie. Most the players we sold during our successful years all played the bulk of their career under Dario/Gudjon/Steve Holland (Miller, Westwood, Murphy). Nick Powell is the one I'll give Davis credit for, as his new fitness regime made him last a lot longer in games which then allowed the world to see his potential. The only other players we sold that Davis primarily developed were Max Clayton, who underachieved massively but then it turned out he despised Davis and was so desperate to leave the club he ended up having a week's trial in Scandinavia in the hope that they'd take him off our hands for free. We then sold him to Bolton for £300,000. Ryan Colclough, a talented winger with well documented legal troubles who was injured for 2 years but had obvious quality. However, he also despised Davis as well, with Davis dropping him regularly for no apparent reason. Lastly, George Cooper, another one who was frozen out for a while by Davis but then thrown back in the deep end when we desperately needed him. Artell sold him to Peterborough in January but again, it was a common recurring theme. And a lot of our ex Academy lads who were released (believe me there's lots) often felt the need that unless your name was Harry Davis or Oliver Turton, who seemed to get chance after chance to impress when they were both woeful, you wouldn't get the run of games you needed to get confidence instilled in the side.

I was so happy when the emergency loan system for clubs in the Football League was scrapped in 2016-17. Davis spent years playing 5 loanees a game, rarely playing Academy lads unless it was his son (on the rare occasions he was fit) or Turton. The board ended up banning him from playing more than 2 loanees as they were appalled at how many Academy products were being jettisoned after each season because they were neglected and never given the chance to prove themselves. His permanent recruitment wasn't much better either, especially in League One. Due to the fact he has the charisma of a breeze block, we often signed dregs every season (Chris Atkinson for instance, who went from League One to the eighth tier within 6 months) and, bar Anthony Grant and Chris Dagnall, he never signed a permanent signing that made a positive and consistent difference to the side, and even then he fell out with Grant and badly mismanaged Dagnall! The difference between the shite he signed and the improved quality of player Dave Artell attracted to our club on the same budget was staggering!

And then there's Davis the person. Swearing at fans constantly, trying to divide fans to save his own skin, the nepotism, the bizarre press conferences and post match interviews about how if you take out the 5 goals Coventry scored there was nothing between us and Coventry and how we should be grateful for being 18 places better off than when he started right after Port Vale relegated us when we were 24th in League One. A nasty piece of work and royal piss taker who I wouldn't want anywhere near anyone else's football club. The last 3 and a half years of his reign were the worst I've endured in over 16 years of watching us.

I'm pretty sure Chester won't be appointing him because I don't think he applied for the job in the end. But I genuinely hope for your sake he comes nowhere near yours, or anyone else's football club at all.

Cheers for that, interesting reading.

Sounds like he didn’t apply in the end but was interviewed in our local press publicly stating his interest. I’m guessing he was just put off by the challenge with the off-field stuff going on.

We’re hoping to announce tomorrow or Wednesday, decision has been made but kept under wraps for now as discussions have been taking place throughout today. Redfearn is favourite, I’d be happy with that as well. Highly respected for the work he did with Leeds’s academy and then did a decent job as first team boss whilst putting up with that oddball Cellino. The other two names heavily linked are Ian Sharps and Kevin Nicholson, who is currently in charge across at Bangor City.

One name that has sprung up from absolutely nowhere is former Mansfield and Boston boss Adam Murray as well. Genuinely no hint and then just appeared in the odds with the local journo’s believing he’s at least been considered. Strange one really.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Cheers for that, interesting reading.

Sounds like he didn’t apply in the end but was interviewed in our local press publicly stating his interest. I’m guessing he was just put off by the challenge with the off-field stuff going on.

We’re hoping to announce tomorrow or Wednesday, decision has been made but kept under wraps for now as discussions have been taking place throughout today. Redfearn is favourite, I’d be happy with that as well. Highly respected for the work he did with Leeds’s academy and then did a decent job as first team boss whilst putting up with that oddball Cellino. The other two names heavily linked are Ian Sharps and Kevin Nicholson, who is currently in charge across at Bangor City.

One name that has sprung up from absolutely nowhere is former Mansfield and Boston boss Adam Murray as well. Genuinely no hint and then just appeared in the odds with the local journo’s believing he’s at least been considered. Strange one really.

Craig Harrison has applied

 

[Chief Rocka]

It's a four way race for our job if you believe what's being said, Matty Bates, Steve Watson, Alun Armstrong or Jason Ainsley, should be announced within days.

Don't think I want any of them, Bates if pushed I guess, probably be some random youth coach from Ireland knowing our lot.

 

[Chief Rocka]

It's a four way race for our job if you believe what's being said, Matty Bates, Steve Watson, Alun Armstrong or Jason Ainsley, should be announced within days.

Don't think I want any of them, Bates if pushed I guess, probably be some random youth coach from Ireland knowing our lot.

Matty Bates it is, announcement tomorrow.

 

[iesty wfc]

we are set to announce our next full time manager tomorrow (Wednesday).

Sam Ricketts is surprise favourite for the role who has been involved with the youth setup at Wolves since retiring from playing. Keith Curle, Craig Harrison, John Askey, Mark Yates and Gary Caldwell also linked, although we do know from a WST member slipping that we have to agree suitable notification to the blokes club to appoint him, so would rule out Curle, Harrison and Caldwell?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Billy Heath favourite for the Alfreton job after Chris Moyses left earlier today. Thoughts Halifax fans?

 

[Bluandwite]

Bizarrely we still haven’t appointed anybody about a week after we said we would. Rumour has it that Redfearn was the successful candidate but we’ve been locked in talks all week about a pricey assistant he wants to bring with him.

Still might happen early next week but we’re also now looking at other options in case it doesn’t.

Nothing's ever easy with us.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Liam Watson back for a third spell in charge at Southport!

 

[Swedes]

Liam Watson back for a third spell in charge at Southport!

He's come home! It's his fourth spell with us after he fulfilled the role of Operations Director (and one game as caretaker manager) in 2016/17. Based locally, knows the club, and is the most successful ever manager in this league. He's the best man for the job.

 

[Master D]

It's all he ever does.